In response to the devastating earthquakes occurring in the south of Puerto Rico since December 28th, we have activated our team on the ground to provide direct relief to impacted communities in five municipalities. Thanks to the generosity of your individual donations and our funders, I was able to travel throughout the southern region of Puerto Rico hand-delivering aid to municipal relief centers, improvised community shelters, and family residences from January 8th to 17th. This feat was only possible thanks to support from our great team: Director of Puerto Rico Programs, Cristobal Jimenez; Puerto Rico Teacher of the Year 2019, Maestro Elliot Lopez; and, Executive Director, Felipe Benitez.
I would like to share some stories of impact that are a direct result of your support for Corazón Latino's work.
Guayanilla
On one of my trips to the town of Guayanilla - a major epicenter for tremors in the south - I met with Dr. Enid "Cuchi" Santos who lost her home where she lived with her dog and ran a private medical practice for her community. Thanks to a network of friends and activists, I was even able to get to the ambulatory clinic Dr. Enid runs before CBS reporter David Begnaud! The clinic had already seen 45 patients on the day we visited with supplies.
Cuchi shared her story with us as she received threats from the managers of the private hospital she works for. The hospital warned that she would be fired if she did not report for her shift at the hospital located over an hour away, even though they knew she had just lost her home and was providing medical care to her community free of charge. Thanks to our team and our partners at Farmacia La Constancia, Dr. Enid now has an expanded inventory of medical supplies that she can use to address the needs of her community and continue to provide aid to earthquake victims.
Later, our team received word of a community kitchen in Guayanilla feeding over 20 people per day. We took stock of their needs and provided them with enough supplies to continue supporting their community and invite more people to join them. In the wake of tragedy, a cup of café con leche and a plate of arroz y habichuelas can go a long way to restoring peace in the hearts of the people.
Sabana Grande
In the town of Sabana Grande, a municipal shelter became a home for many families with children and elderly family members. There are a wide variety of needs in these communities, and our work there included the element of human touch, which was meant to boost morale and return some semblance of normalcy into people's lives. Our team brought cookies and milk for the children (and grownups) at the camp and during our second visit we took part in the celebration of one girl’s quinceañera (15th birthday party), which is a major milestone in Latinx culture.
Mayaguez & Peñuelas
Off the side of the road in Barrio Sábalo, there is a fruit stand that helped us provide earthquake refugees with fresh fruits such as oranges, tamarinds, pineapples, and even some avocados. The bright, shining faces of people who were able to add variety to their diet at the community shelter were truly priceless. Just the other day, we were able to bring a bag of tamarinds to a family in the mountains of Peñuelas, that had four families sleeping in tents together. One of the people living there told us that they hadn't tasted a tamarind in almost 20 years.
Your donations helped make that possible.
Our furry and feathered friends were also impacted by the earthquakes, and this home in the mountains of Peñuelas was home to 12 rescued perritos y perritas. Our team included dog food in our relief purchases and we were able to get some tails wagging.
As families request supplies to ensure the health and safety of their loved ones, Corazón Latino has established a relief fund to support the purchase and delivery of these materials, provide positive outlets for anxiety and stress relief for residents, and build a permanent stockpile of supplies in preparation for future natural disasters. If you or someone you know would like to support this effort, please visit: https://www.corazonlatino.us/heart4pr. One hundred percent (minus processing fees) of your donation will go directly to providing relief for families struggling as a result of the earthquake.
We hope you'll join us in supporting community members in their recovery.